Thank you to Netgalley and Stories Untold Publishing for the opportunity to read this book and give it a review!

This book was quite fun and is quick and easy to read. It is a fantasy story about a sixteen-year-old girl named Ivy Lovely. Her life is uneventful and drab until the day she leaves the magic dampening slurry fields of the castle where she worked as a maid. Then, given the opportunity to study at the Halls of Ivy and become a scrivenist, she learns that there is more magic and wonder to her life than she had thought. Ivy becomes the centre of events and has a fate greater than she could have ever imagined.

This is definitely a great story for younger readers! As a matter of fact, reading this book gave me a nostalgic feeling, like I was a young teen again, immersing myself in a new fantasy on a breezy Saturday. The author, D.E Night paints a vivid, intriguing world with her descriptions. The dialogue is a bit lacking at times, as I would love to get a fuller view of the characters, but as this is only the first book in a series, I'm sure they will have a greater chance to be developed further on. I also like that the story progressed at a quick pace and was suffused with quite a bit of action to keep the reader coming back for more. For me, the true strength of this novel was the mystery behind Ivy and her lineage. I love a good mystery, and this one was quite alluring and well constructed.

If I were middle-grade I would have stayed up all night reading this!

While this book has heavy Harry Potter influence, the author manages to make the world all their own.

Ivy is a lovable character and the world is enthralling.

In a surprising twist of events, I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did!! Crowns of Croswald was a 5 star read for me almost right from the get-go.

Harry Potter-level world-building created rich imagery that even though dense sometimes - made me feel like I was truly transported somewhere else.

Does she then find herself at a school for people with magical abilities learning that maybe she's not just an orphan after all? Hints of young love and a little Beauty and the Beast-esque style mystery make this totally worth a read even if you typically don't read young adult fantasy!!!

Plot Synopsis:
The main character Ivy finds herself magically bound by the 'slurry fields' surrounding where she was found as an orphan. After enduring a lifetime of abusive conditions as a 'sculldroney maid' tending to kitchen dragons. She then leaves the castle she grew up in as a servant and upon leaving discovers that possesses magical abilities! Starting with a magical carriage ride to a town to gather her school supplies, on to learning she possesses more magical talents than just about everyone her age - Ivy Lovely is in for one heck of a school year!!

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

One thing that I love is magic, and this book was full of it. It's so whimsical and full of fun that I can't help but remember the stories I read as a child. This story is perfect for younger readers and makes your imagination go wild.

If you are looking for a story to get lost in, then this is the one for you or your little one.
I enjoyed my time whilst reading and recommended it if you are looking for a magic-filled, whimsical read.

When it comes to middle grade fiction, is there anything more magical then the “non-magical protagonist finding out they’ve magical this whole time — now off to magic school” trope?

While that trope sounds oddly specific, there is nothing odd about the whimsical adventure @author.denight’s The Crowns of Crosswald sent me on!

Our protagonist, Ivy Lovely, like her name is a sweetheart! Both charming and chaotic and very hungry for magic and mystery, which often lands her sticky situations! The characterisations and characters-plots of the supporting cast is very cookie-cutter but in a familiar way that gave me comforting rushes of nostalgia to my days reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. None the less, they were all well-written and fun to get to know throughout the story!

D. E. Knight does a wonderful job with world-building by paying attention to detail — be it the unique magical knick knacks used by Ivy and co., the fun character dynamics and the rich descriptions. I love it when fantasy books paint vivid smaller pictures in a story as it makes the bigger picture more authentic.

So all in all, I enjoyed this! While I have outgrown the tendency to be surprised over the plots of middle grade reads, reading was a fun bit of nostalgia! I can easily see this book, and any that follow it, being well-loved books on the shelves of new readers, young readers and lovers of magic!

🌟 4

I enjoyed The Crown's of Croswald , it wasn't my usual genre but I had been invited on the write reads blog tour and told I would enjoy it that I did. I have been keeping an eye out for more books by D.E Night

I found the first half quite boring, I felt like everything was being set up really slowly, the world and magical system really wasn't griping me as much as I wanted, especially seeing as the synopsis sounded so good. But I'm thinking this may have had something to do with my reading slump as the last 35% to me really gripped me and I was really enjoying my time. I loved Ivy and the journey she went on to discover who she was, I loved the adventures in the bottles and the friendships she made along the way.
I think I did get a bit frustrated with not getting enough answers until like the last 10%... I think especially with a middle grade it needs to be sprinkled into the story and not just told right at the end.
That being said I really did enjoy the last 30% and I am Intrigued by the ending and may have to pick up the next book in the series.

I've been curious of this book from the last year, so when they let me read this book for free I was so grateful. As you can see in Goodread's reviews, this book is indeed reminded me of harry potter, it involved magic, curious creatures, dark powers, magic school and an orphan with misery-cladded life.

But I found the world building in this book is quite unique and it makes you want to be a Scrivenist too. Imagine you can enter the world you have been drew/wrote in your imagination! Oh, I would love to do that for sure~

Ivy's adventure in her academy was fun and you can tell that she is a super curious child. And Fyn!! Oh well, I know how this story will develop into Ivy and Fyn's relationship later, but Fyn's character just a bit suspicious to me I dunno...

I definitely will recommend this for middle grade lovers, and YA books lovers too

The Crowns of Croswald
Author: D.E. Night

I was asked by the publisher of this book series to write an review in exchange for a free Ebook.

The Crowns of Croswald is the first book in the The Crowns of Croswald series.

We meet Ivy Lovely who is our main character. Ivy lives a lonely live for a sixteen year old girl. Her life isn't special at all and her work as a scaldrony maid bores her. Suddenly sparkles of magic shine bright into Ivy her life. New paths introduce the young Ivy to a new magical world.

Magical surprises follow each other in rapid succession. Ivy get introduced to the lifestyle on a magical school named: The Walls of Ivy.

When the evil Queen threatens Ivy, her mission is to save her loved ones.
Can Ivy withstand all the secrets of her family tree?

The Crowns of Croswald is a middle grade fantasy series for childeren. I think that this series is very suitable for children above 10 years old. Not because it includes any aggressive topics, but the storyline can be a bit difficult to follow at some specific points.

I admire all the fantasy characters, and the world building.
At some points I found that the story shared to much similarities compared to Harry Potter. This distracted me from the storyline because it made me compare the both of them. I missed some originality.

I want to thank the publisher and the author for the free Ebook.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! While it's meant for a younger following (elementary/middle school age), it's still a great, easy read for an adult. It gave me nostalgia for the days I read Harry Potter as a kid - the imagination used to create this world and detail provided to make you feel as if you're there was well done. While the world it's set in differs from Harry Potter, there are similarities to the plot. A child, Ivy, unknowingly possesses great magical strength and is sent to a school for magic where she encounters many obstacles while trying to hone her skills and learn of her family's history. The greatest threat against her is an evil queen who's goal is to steal her power, and she'd have to kill Ivy to do so. This is definitely a book I'd recommend for younger readers!

Crowns of Croswald by D.E. Night
Thank You To Netgalley, Storiesuntoldpress and Author D.E. Night for the DRC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

This first book in a four part series tells the story of 16 year old Ivy Lovely.  Ivy is portrayed initially as a servant to a royal family.  She really has no idea the magical powers she holds and her world is about to change forever.  Readers are taken on an adventure where Ivy crosses an enchanted boundary to a school to explore her abilities.  Her curiosity gets the best of her and she starts questioning who she really is and her significant importance in this magical world.

Who says your too old to read a middle grade fantasy book?  While this is not a genre I would typically read, it was quite enjoyable!  I loved watching Ivy's personality change from quiet girl to bold and risk taking.  The story is smoothly written and descriptive in nature, which helps the reader easily visualize this magical world.  My only dislike is that the plot in general was similar to a popular children's fantasy involving a boy named Harry.  Although the plot was similar, the narrative was different and unique.  I would absolutely recommend this fun and adventurous book to any age reader that enjoys magical fantasy.

I received this e-book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

“The Crows of Croswald” is classified as middle grade fantasy, and I would like to start by saying I’m not very familiar with the different types of fantasy there are out there, but I enjoyed it a lot.

I tend to prefer fantasy that is, somehow, related to our world – such as Discovery of Witches and Harry Potter, that start in our world and go from there. In here, we have a full world construct and I felt it worked very well. The beginning is slow, which gives us time to get used to the reality – I highly appreciated it, plus the fact that we get a main character that is discovering this world at the same time that we are. I don’t like being put in a fantasy world without any context and it doesn’t happen here! The descriptions are very detail, if you like world build well done, definitely give it a chance.

I sensed some Harry Potter meets Red Queen vibes. I was going to lower the score because of this, but it pretty much only happens in the beginning. When the story starts, and we get involved, we forget other fantasy series and are able to focus just on this one.

The writing is really nice, which is always a plus for me me, and makes me want to upper the score right away. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

5 stars! I loved the magical world, the characters and the adventure! A perfect read for fans of Harry Potter. The magical world was fresh and interesting but felt familiar and nostalgic all at once. This would be perfect for middle and high school readers as I know Ivy would resonate with so many! I was very satisfied with how the ending felt like a conclusion yet was still the perfect lead into the next novel in the series. Fantastic

I loved this book! It was such a nostalgic read for me, as I used to read lots of books like this but haven’t in a while. I really enjoyed this magical world and the descriptions were just beautiful. The magic was very well developed and it was all very cleverly though out. The plot twists and the way all the loose ends slotted together at the end was very well written. The imperfectness of the characters made them very realistic and the friendship between Ivy and Rebecca was so nice, as well as the little bit of romance which was a lovely added touch to the book. Would highly recommend this book. Such a great middle grade fantasy. I can’t wait to read the rest in the series!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start off by saying that if you like middle grade books that are a little be Harry Potter and a little Alice and Wonderland, this book is for you! It follows the journey of Ivy Loverly, a young girl who gets into a magic school (very similar to Harry Potter). And you see her slowly learn about herself and grow into who she is. The world building is beautiful and definitely made you feel like you were there. This book was definitely made for a younger crowd and it was a bit too much like Harry Potter in certain parts for me. But if you like middle grade books with great world building and magic, give this book a try!

“The Crowns of Croswald” is the first book in The Crowns of Croswald series, inserted in the middle grade literary genre, written by D.E Night. I was contacted by her publicist, Daniela, and they offered me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of this book revolves around a school of magic, The Ivy Halls, where several students who have a gift for magic are invited to study and develop their skills. There are two categories of magic manifestation, and all young nobles are entitled to a crown with a stone that gives them a specific ability, having to learn how to use it. On the other hand, we have those who can become scrivenists, magicians with the ability to draw everything they see with precision, having a photographic memory, and the function of studying and writing about all their discoveries in order to contribute to the advancement of magic. In addition, each noble family is assigned a scrivenist. This concept was well developed in the book, it was what enchanted me the most, because throughout my reading I always felt that I was in a magical and joyful world, being able to immerse myself in it. That's why I give the concept two stars.
As for the story, we follow the point of view of Ivy Lovely, a sixteen-year-old girl who has the qualities of a scrivenist having, since childhood, a photographic memory and a talent for drawing everything she sees or remembers. At the beginning of the story, Ivy lives in a small village as a baker, having no friends, only Rimbrick, a dwarf who tells her several stories from different places. However, her adventure begins when she is fired and banished from the bakery and, with nowhere to go, Ivy walks with no destination in mind, but a strange person finds her and takes her to the school of magic, The Ivy Halls, stating that he had been looking for her for a long time. Entering the school, Ivy studies to one day become a scrivenist, but fate awaits her something else, something she could never have imagined. Overall the story was entertaining, easy to read and fun, the plot twists weren't surprising, I was expecting them all, making it a bit predictable. One star.
The protagonist of this story is Ivy Lovely, a sixteen-year-old girl who has always lived in the small village where she works as a baker. Despite not liking the life she leads, Ivy is still an optimistic, fun, empathetic, friendly and kind young woman, helping everyone whenever she can. One of her passions is drawing everything she sees, dreaming of studying to be a scrivenist at the Halls of Ivy. Ivy made the story even more magical, as we follow her school adventures, she is enchanted and impressed by everything she sees, bringing the magical atmosphere of the book to life. I give one star.
On the other hand, the antagonist of this story is the Dark Queen, the queen of Croswald. She is portrayed as a mysterious woman, as none of her subjects have seen her, no one knows what she looks like, spending most of her time in the palace, only going out in her carriage when necessary. I liked this mysterious element, however she almost never appears throughout the story and in the end I was a little disappointed because the confrontation between her and Ivy ended in a predictable and convenient way. Zero stars.
Finally, we have several secondary characters such as Fyn, Rebecca, Winsom and Rimbrick. Fyn is Ivy's love interest, having met him at one of the student scrivenist supply stores. He's older than she is, being a third grader, and overall a polite and friendly person, but I felt he didn't have much of a personality or anything to set him apart. On the contrary, Rebecca is Ivy's roommate, a noblewoman with a cheerful and fun personality, using her skills in a comical way. She becomes a great friend to Ivy, helping her whenever she needs it, even when plans can be a little risky. Winsom is a character with a peculiar personality, an elderly scrivenist who practices his magic inside the castle in a secret way. He taught Ivy many things, including things about her past, having been an important mentor to her. Rimbrick is a dwarf who is introduced to us at the beginning of the story, he is one of Ivy's great friends, since he was the one who told her lots of stories from distant places and brought her books for her to read, having been her source of joy during the years she worked as a baker. I liked all the characters, but I felt that some could have been better worked out and explored, so I give one star.
In conclusion, I give five stars out of ten to the first book in the series “The Crowns of Croswald”. However, I want to make it clear that this is a middle grade story, that is, it is for children, and I would recommend this book to that target audience, I think it would be a good story to start in the fantasy genre.

Unfortunately I had to give up because I've read more than half the book and still couldn't understand the magic world, its rules and what was going on. It seemed lovely and magical but a little bit too confusing.

The Crowns of Croswald is the first book in the Croswald Series by D.E Night.
It follows the story of Ivy Lovely who has thought the past 16 years of her life that she was a mere mortal... but she was wrong. When she crosses the border of mundane and magic, her powers awaken. She starts school at the Halls of Ivy and tries to unlock secrets of her hidden past, while the Dark Queen keeps getting in her way.
This book is full of adventure and is honestly perfect for fans of middle grade books or younger children.
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4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I did really enjoy this story and how we got to learn so much about the school, the creatures and the world of Croswald.
This book is comparable to a lot of middle grade fantasy novels I read as a child and made me feel a bit nostalgic while reading it.
Overall I do recommend this! And I definitely could see myself continuing on with this series ❤️
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✨ Disclaimer ✨
I was sent a free copy of this novel by @storiesuntoldpress in exchange for an honest review! But, as always, all opinions are my own 🤍

This was a middle grade fantasy story falling very precisely into the long lost princess trope. While the imagination was clearly there, the author fell short when building a world that could have been so incredibly beautiful. The reader has to assume and cultivate the world on their own for the most part.
The writing was too choppy to get into any decent reading flow… there was a lot of stop/start/rereading sentences etc.
I think the targeted audience of 8-12 year olds would find it hard to get swept away. Unfortunately, I’ll have to give this 1 star.

The Crowns of Croswald - the first in its series - follows Ivy on her journey of discovering the magic in Croswald - and herself. While Ivy starts to learn more about her family history and the magical lineage that kept Croswald safe for generations, the Dark Queen takes interest in her. The story unfolds over a school year filled with new friendships and magical classes, culminating in a masquerade ball. This coming of age story captures the joy, the trials, and the wonder of finding yourself.

I have not read the rest of this series but it immediately reminded me of Harry Potter. D.E. Night does a good enough job of differentiating Croswald and it's magic from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. There are many nods to the story we all know and love, though, making Croswald feel familiar.

This was my first middle grade, fantasy read in a long while and, at times, I struggled with the simple writing style and rushed pacing. I imagine if I had a family, I would thoroughly enjoy reading this with my children every night.

Overall, would recommend. I can't give half stars here but I would give it 3.5/5. It was a nice break from what I am more accustomed to reading. I am hopeful that I will read the rest of the series and discover the ending of Ivy's story at some point.